Turn Bing Searches into RSS Feeds

Are you doing research on a topic, and want to save your results and be made aware when new information about that topic is published on the web? Bing, Microsoft's new "decision" engine, allows you to convert any search into an RSS feed. Just add the feed to your favorite feed reader (such as Google Reader) and the top 10 results from the search will be added to your feed reader.

To create an RSS feed in Bing, conduct a search, and at the end of the URL from the search results screen add the following text: &format=rss. For example, here is the URL for a Bing search of Lance Armstrong: http://www.bing.com/search?q=lance+armstrong&go=&form=QBLH&qs=n. Here is the URL to turn the search into an RSS feed: http://www.bing.com/search?q=lance+armstrong&go=&form=QBLH&qs=n&format=RSS.

Please note that RSS feeds can only be created for website searches, not for video or image searches.

Filter Your RSS Feeds With FeedRinse

Occasionally, I come across a RSS feed subscription from which I only want certain articles. For example, I frequently follow Engadget Mobile via RSS feed. The problem is, I only want to see posts related to Verizon mobile products (as I am a Verizon customer), but there is no feed that allows me to only receive Verizon posts.

This is where FeedRinse steps in. FeedRinse lets you filter feeds based on keywords, authors, tags, and body information. All you have to do is enter your feeds into FeedRinse, create filters based on your interests, and then export your feeds back into your reader..

So with regards to my previously mentioned example, I would simply enter in the feed address for Engadget Mobile, and then setup my feed to only allow posts that have "Verizon" as a keyword. I then would export the new feed and receive only posts that I want to read.

I highly recommend FeedRinse to heavy RSS users, and anyone looking to cut back on their massive RSS overflow.

Learn More About Swine Flu -- and Watch Its Movement

If you are looking for information on Swine Flu, you might want to check out this podcast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is available to view online, or you can download it to view later, on your portable music/video player.

While you are visiting the CDC, you might look at the Centers’ other podcasts. And, if you are interested in public health issues, subscribe to the Centers’ RSS feed.

Do you want to monitor Swine Flu across the country? Gizmodo will tell you how you can view the location of reports of the disease in real time, in a Google map.

[Thanks to Adult Services librarian Constance Doherty for the CDC site.]

Great Computer Videos in Plain English

I love the Common Craft In Plain English videos. In particular, I have used RSS in Plain English and Blogs in Plain English in the Web 2.0 classes I teach. They are excellent, brief, funny, and “in plain English,” suitable for beginners and those exploring new topics.

Here’s the latest from Common Craft, Computer Software in Plain English.

Two thumbs. up.

Track the Stimulus Money via RSS Feed

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- the stimulus package -- recently signed by President Obama, requires that each government agency reports the money it gives out via RSS, according to Raw Thought. For each of the near term reporting requirements (major communications, formula block grant allocations, weekly reports) agencies are required to provide a feed of the information so that content can be delivered via subscription.

This, to me, is an example of using the technology appropriately to provide more open government.

[via boingboing]

Quickstart Guide to Using Google Reader for RSS Feeds

Interested in using a RSS feed reader, but not sure where to start or how to set one up? Google Reader is an excellent choice for starting out.

Watch the following video and, in no time at all, updates from your favorite blogs will be sent to you automatically, instead of you having to visit each site to see if something new has been posted.



You can start using Google Reader by subscribing to this blog, The Tech Desk. Scroll down until you see Subscribe To on the right side of this page. Click on Posts, then Add to Google.

New Year's Resolutions

It's time once again to make resolutions for the new year. Here are some technology-related resolutions you may wish to consider:

1. Check out electronic business reference sources available at the Troy Public Library

Researching businesses and stocks? We subscribe to many comprehensive business databases, including ValueLine, Morningstar, Standard & Poor's Net Advantage, thestreet.com and Mergent Online. Need to find information about a particular industry? Check out Plunkett Research Online. Looking for contact information for a particular business? Try Reference USA. You can access these databases by clicking the "Information on Demand" icon on the Library's homepage.

2. Use research databases available from the Troy Public Library
Everything from full text articles from Consumer Reports, Time, and Newsweek to Environmental Nutrition, Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, and Mathematics Education Research Journal can be found in databases from the Library (all of these publications can be found in Academic OneFile). You can access these databases by clicking the "Information on Demand" icon on the Library's homepage.

3. Check out an eBook or eAudiobook
The Troy Public Library subscribes to two services (NetLibrary and OverDrive) that provide downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks. You can access these services here. Try them out! (Note: first-time NetLibrary users will need to register for an account in the Library).

4. Use snopes.com
Before sending money to Nigeria, deleting JDBGMGR.exe, using Listerine to kill mosquitoes, or other things that forwarded emails tell you to do, check out snopes.com. Snopes is a site the debunks urban legends and misinformation that often comes in emails. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true in an email, it probably is.

5. Keep your anti-virus software updated
Anti-virus software is only as good as its last update. Make sure your software is current so that your computer is completely protected. Also, be sure to scan your computer on a regular basis.

6. Use an RSS reader
Do you get frustrated when you check out a favorite blog, and there is no new information? Instead of wasting time checking sites to see if they have been updated, have the updates sent to you automatically by using an RSS reader. For more information, check out this video.

7. Recycle or donate old electronic equipment
So you bought a new computer, printer, cell phone, etc...? What are you going to do with the old one? Instead of throwing it away, consider donating or recycling it.

Libraries as Local News Aggregators

As we have been talking about the future of print media recently, here is an interesting post from SirsiDynix VP of Innovation, Stephen Abram:

Some pretty dire predictions on the health of the newspaper industry.

One report by financial ratings firm Fitch put out a report predicting that "several cities could go without a daily print newspaper by 2010."

"Fitch believes more newspapers and newspaper groups will default, be shut down and be liquidated in 2009 and several cities could go without a daily print newspaper by 2010," the Chicago-based credit ratings firm said in a report on the outlook for U.S. media and entertainment."

So, if you're in a public library and your town is potentially dependent on the McPaper or a major national (If the NYT survives), what could you do? Can you use RSS feeds to assemble a local news source from smaller independents? Can you surf the local blogs and aggregate? Would your town miss local news in print? or have they already gone 'e'?

Seems like an opportunity. You might even be able to hire some of the folks being put on the street by the big conglomerates as they lay off folks.

Making the Change to Feedburner

We are pleased to report that we have just moved The Tech Desk to Feedburner, which will allow us to more easily distribute our blog through RSS feeds.

Here's how this change will improve The Tech Desk:

• Feedburner will allow us to track how many people are reading our blog through RSS feeds.
• Along with knowing how many subscribers we have, we will also be able to see which posts are getting the most reads, and in which subjects you are most interested.
• Our blog feed will now have a del.icio.us link at the bottom of each post, which means you will be able to add quickly your favorite post to this social bookmarking site.
  
• Finally, both our Atom and RSS feeds will link back to the same SmartFeed provided by Feedburner.
  

We've also added our blog to the blog search engines Technorati and Google Blog Search, and our posts should start to be visible there as they accumulate.

If you are an RSS subscriber you will need to switch over to our new feed located at the follow link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheTechDesk

If you have any questions about the changeover, feel free to leave a comment and ask!

Readers' Advisory: Book Suggestions via Email, RSS Feeds

Are you the kind of person who enters a bookstore and searches the "Staff Suggestions" shelf? Do you ask those working in libraries for reading ideas? Do you subscribe to mybooklist.com or librarything.com so that you can read others' reviews of books?

If so, you will love our Staff Reads newsletter. This newsletter will give you a bimonthly update about what books Library staff are reading. It will link you to the item in our catalog so you can see if it is available or place it on hold if it is not.

You can have Staff Reads sent to your email, or you can subscribe to it with your favorite RSS reader.

Go to the Library's website at www.libcoop.net/troy.

Click on the Books for You link in the left side frame. This will direct you to the Book Lists for All Readers page. Check to the left of Staff Reads or any of the other 13 newsletters we provide. When you're done, scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email address. You'll receive regular updates from the Library.

To subscribe via RSS feed: Go to the Book Lists for All Readers page, click on Click Here for RSS Feeds, and subscribe to the newsletters in which you are interested.

Happy reading!

Receive Library Calendar of Events by Email, RSS Feed

Each month, at the Library, we offer a wide-range of activities, classes and programs. We have dozens of computer classes, cultural programs, youth story times, and teen events for you. Go to our calendar to view our programs. If a program requires registration, it will be underlined. Click on that program and register. If a program is not underlined, no registration is required. Just arrive on the day and enjoy!

You can also receive our events calendar directly to your email or RSS reader.

To receive our calendar by email, go to the calendar. Find an event in which you are interested. Click on the event to bring up the Event Registration page. Under the event name, click on the Notify Me link. Enter your name and email address. You will be sent updates of events in the same category as the event you selected. Those categories are Adults, Teens, Youth, Story Time, Family, or Cultural.

You can also subscribe to our calendar using an RSS reader. At the top of the calendar, click on the “RSS Feed” link. This will take you to a subscription page, where you can subscribe to our calendar using your favorite reader. Our calendar will update in your reader regularly.

Need more information? Leave a comment below and we'll get back to you.